The U.S. House of Representatives failed to elect a new speaker for the third time in a row. Why don’t Republicans elect fellow party member McCarthy?

Criticism of party members

Kevin McCarthy is more of a centrist politician. He is elected for the ninth time, and, importantly, is elected from California. This is a blue state, absolutely pro-democracy, and McCarthy is a representative of the Republican Party. This is a man who is generally accustomed to working with his Democratic colleagues, knows how to find compromises, which is criticized by right-wing Trumpist Republicans. He has spent recent years trying to win the support of these right-wing Republicans, who are now becoming more and more in Congress. And it is right-wingers who criticize McCarthy. There are at least 9 congressmen in Congress who have said they will not vote for him under any circumstances.

What claims to McCarthy

Right-wing Republicans argue that, as House Minority Leader, he was not tough enough against President Joe Biden. Center Republicans, in turn, believe that McCarthy is too soft on the Republicans, who are pulling the party to the right. The position of the majority leader is very important because he is the third person in the state and he plans the adoption of laws, controls their consideration, plans the daily and weekly work of Congress and the entire legislative agenda. He works to advance the goals of the party, in this case the Republican, and the Centrists believe that the Republicans did not get the expected majority in the elections precisely because the party was led by the Republican right and Kevin McCarthy too. Now he is trying to make a deal because of the rather stringent demands that both those who fully support him and the right-wing Republicans make.

Support for Ukraine and the adopted budget

Spending on Ukraine has caused serious controversy among legislators. But even the right-wing Republicans, even those who didn't stand up when President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke in Congress, even those who said not a single cent would go to support Ukraine, will not be able to cancel it as long as the majority of Americans are in favor of aid. Polls show that most Americans agree to support Kyiv. And the personality of President Zelensky plays a key role here. For Americans, this is an understandable, pleasant, likeable and highly respected leader. American politicians are very dependent on the voters, and they monitor what the citizens say and think, and even the most right-wing Republicans cannot turn this situation around. As for the $1.7 trillion spending package that was announced with the arrival of President Zelensky, this is the last major bill that the Democrats fought for and rushed to pass before the current Congress starts, because it includes $45 billion in aid to Ukraine. This is a trigger for the right-wing Republicans, who were strongly opposed, but nevertheless, many Republicans voted for this legislation anyway, and this wave has reached now. Right-wing Republicans are talking about punishing the Republicans who voted for this bill along with the Democrats.

What do they want to bargain

To the right-wing Republicans, McCarthy promises that he will launch an investigation into the possibility of the impeachment of President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mallorcas. He is also required that, as speaker, he does not accept bills from those Republicans who supported the spending package adopted at the end of the year, which included spending on Ukraine. McCarthy may agree to certain restrictions regarding the terms and conditions of his tenure as speaker. In addition, the Republican right wants changes to the 135-year-old election law that former President Donald Trump tried to use to undo his 2020 election defeat. It regulates how presidential elections are certified. If you read the law in one way, then the vice president is simply present at the vote, or you can read it so that the vice president must certify the results. After the election, Trump hoped that Vice President Mike Pence could not count the results of the vote, but this did not happen.

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